World Dementia Council Meets For The First Time

At the inaugural meeting, new members of the The World Dementia Council have announced how they plan to support Dennis Gillings in tackling dementia globally.

Following on from the pledge made at the G8 dementia summit in December, the 13-member Council, appointed by the World Dementia Envoy, acknowledged that dementia research is not currently delivering the results we need. The Council have proposed radical but practical plans to change this, working with governments, regulators and industry.

With 44.4 million people living with dementia worldwide and an estimated global cost of $604 billion in 2010, the urgent need for global action is clear.  To this end the Council recognises the need to remove barriers to innovation, improve investment conditions and most importantly, encourage new research into dementia globally.

Alzheimer’s Society comment:

‘Whilst a leader, Britain cannot stand alone in tackling dementia – it is an issue affecting people worldwide that requires a global solution. Alzheimer’s Society has pledged to spend at least £100m on dementia research in the next decade and we are calling for sustained action to tackle the global health challenge of dementia.

‘Whilst a radical vision for changing the landscape of dementia research is important, we hope the Council will help deliver real progress for people currently living with the condition. We look forward to supporting the work of the World Dementia Council in their aim of finding a life-altering treatment or cure by 2025.’

Dr Doug Brown

Director of Research and Development

Alzheimer’s Society